Jannik Sinner, a 24-year-old tennis player, entered the French Open without the competition from Carlos Alcaraz. Many believed this was his chance to secure his first Roland-Garros victory. However, his journey ended in an unexpected defeat during the second round on Thursday.
Sinner faced Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, ranked 56th, in what turned out to be a major upset in tennis history. Despite starting strong by winning the first two sets with scores of 6-3 and 6-2, Sinner lost the next three sets 7-5, 6-1, and 6-1. This defeat marked a surprising end to Sinner’s participation in the tournament.
Struggling in the heat, which hovered around 84 degrees, Sinner seemed to suffer from cramping, particularly when serving to close the match in the third set. From that point, he lost 18 of the next 20 games, terminating his Roland-Garros run and breaking his 30-match winning streak that began in February.
A victory in this tournament would have completed Sinner’s Grand Slam collection. With Alcaraz, the world’s current No. 2 player, absent due to injury, Sinner’s chances for a deep run seemed promising. At one point, after winning the first two sets, betting odds heavily favored Sinner at -100000. Nonetheless, the unexpected unfolded.
Cerúndolo is now set to advance to the third round on Saturday. He will face either Martín Landaluce or Vít Kopřiva as he continues his unexpected progress in the tournament.
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